The Hand of Poetry: Five Mystic Poets of Persia : Translations from the Poems of Sanai, Attar, Rumi, Saadi and Hafiz : Lectures on Persian Poetry

Rating:
Summary: cheese
Review: Mr. Coleman's text has very little to do with the originals. I could see how someone could come to the interpretations that he has come to, - after all, there could be infinite number of interpretations to a text - but that then one would publish them as "translations" is in my opinion a bit too irresponsible, even if one mentions this fact in the introduction. Mr. Coleman has arrived at the undecidability of the text, and has realized that as Adorno would say, "one can not interpret anything out of a text, that one has not introduced into it." Once he has realized the hermaneutic call to interpretation can not ever be fully satisfied, he then decides to interpret pure kitch into it. I feel very sorry for those who get introduced to the great masterpieces of Persian literature as packaged in the butcher-shop of Mr. Coleman.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Introduction to Five Mystic Poets of Persia
Review: The book consists of translations by Coleman Barks with lectures by Inayat Khan. If you love Rumi, prepare yourself for a treat because Khan takes you by the hand and introduces you to Sanai, Attar, Saadi, Hafiz, and of course, the inimitable Rumi in a crystalline translation.

"Let the beauty we love be what we do" - Rumi

Don't let the volume get away!

Rating:
Summary: A Spiritual flying carpet
Review: There is beauty here both in the words and in the deeper mystical message that these C13th poets share with us. They take you on an exotic journey in to yourself. You sense a familiarity about what is said and Coleman Barks' translation is such that the words sound not from a bygone era but from this very moment...

I've bought four copies of this book and re-read it many times. After you're finished you'll want to give it to everyone you know!

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Introduction to Sufi Poetry
Review: This book is a beautiful introduction to the world of Sufi poetry. The five featured poets are each dazzling masters of language whose works grow richer with each re-reading. The greatest part of this book, however, is the amazing introductions by Inayat Khan. His words are full of both wisdom and beauty. They will enchant any who read them and, like the poetry, they will provide the reader a great deal to think about.